A new venue and a solid line-up featuring a host of emerging and established alternative acts culminated in one of the best Laneway experiences Auckland has seen.
The festival moved from Silo Park on Auckland's waterfront to Albert Park in the heart of the city for the first time yesterday - a 2km shift that paid huge dividends.
The industrial, concrete jungle feel of Silo Park was so often criticised for being far too small and punters complained of having nowhere to take a rest away from the sun - two issues the leafy Albert Park addressed immediately.
No more were there hordes of people huddled compactly under a handful of marquees - punters were instead able to recline under the trees - and with the new venue 70 percent larger than last year's, there was ample space to find a private spot away from the music and the crowds.
The increased space also meant there were four completely unattached stages at this year's Laneway Festival, which allowed for every act to have its own designated space - and the freedom to choose from a number of good locations meant a lift in sound quality and a better crowd experience compared to previous festivals.
But no matter how good the venue, any festival is reliant on quality artists to make it truly memorable. Laneway has never lacked that aspect, and again drew some of the biggest names in alternative music, with massive local and international acts bolstering the 2017 line-up.
The day was kicked off with a host of strong New Zealand acts; dream pop group Fazer Daze, indie rockers Yukon Era and veteran rock five-piece The Chills opening the festival with a distinctly Kiwi feel.
Later in the day indie group Whitney got the Thunderdome Stage crowd in a cheery mood with their blend of soul and folk punctuated with catchy guitar riffs, and over at the Fountain Stage Car Seat Headrest appeared to win over a host of new fans with their brand of sullen soft rock.
Hip-hop producer Clams Casino was next at the Princes Street Stage, and while he started well and had a strong, dedicated crowd clearly very excited to watch him perform, technical problems marred his set about 20 minutes in and he was forced to call it off early.
Newly reunited Kiwi rock band Cut Off Your Hands, Norwegian singer-songwriter AURORA and psychedelic rockers King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard all took to the stage thereafter to the delight of their devoted fan bases, but for many the mid-afternoon performances signalled a lull in which to get refreshments and lie in the sun.
Due to the increased venue size, there were plenty more food vendors at this year's festival - and that meant a greater variety when it came to buying something to eat, with a number of healthy and vegan options to decide from alongside the plentiful fast food stalls.
By the time festival-goers had had a break, it was time for the heavy-hitters to hit the stage; Oxford-based band Glass Animals thrilling the audience gathered at the Rotunda Stage with their characteristic high-energy style and quirky electro pop sound early in the evening.
Frontman Dave Bayley brimmed with charisma as he danced across the stage with tambourine in hand, delivering fan favourites 'Gooey', 'Season 2 Episode 3' and 'Hazey' to an animated crowd.
Their compelling stage presence was in stark contrast to Nick Murphy, formerly known as Chet Faker, who provided what was easily the weakest moment of the festival.
Indulgently long songs and a complete lack of desire to connect with his audience culminated in the most mind-numbingly boring performance of the day - and even hugely sing-able indie anthem 'Talk is Cheap' was met with a subdued response thanks to Murphy's irritating refusal to sing the song's distinctive melody.
Chicago rapper Mick Jenkins was a welcome relief from the painstaking Murphy, and he put on an engaging performance that involved plenty of calls for his fans to put their "motherf***ing hands in the air" as he and his DJ danced around stage with a large inflatable alien figurine to rapturous applause.
What So Not and Tame Impala closed off the night in style; the latter putting on a typically polished performance that involved plenty of distorted guitars and copious amounts of confetti, which was fired into the crowd tactfully during crowd-pleasers 'Let It Happen' and 'Feels Like We Only Go Backwards'.
The psychedelic pop group were hugely impressive and it was clear everything from keyboard tones to backing visuals had been planned out meticulously - and with the band recently announcing that they're going on a long break from touring, the biggest audience of the day stayed late to lap up every last moment before heading home.
Newshub.
